One Familiar With Zero
by Immortal Blade
Summary: A man, a champion, an ambassador, a defender, alongside a physical god sealed in armor, end up being summoned by a short, pink haired girl to be her familiar. Nothing surprising anymore.
1. New Worlds Await

**A/N: Well. This is surprising. A different story altogether. Not Tainted Black or its rewrite (which _will_ update alternately with this story), nor some convoluted Toaru Majutsu no Index... _thing_ I made up on the spot. Just me and my Familiar Of Zero fanfic. Granted, it has a similar level of being weird as ACEM did, but it was actually planned out, so it's better. ^_^ Yeah!  
More importantly, I need a beta reader for this one. Or at least plenty of reviewers. My OC is strong, somewhat smart, and is the restrainer of a physical god. Marty Stu incoming... _maybe_. I tried to avoid that path. Marcus is more experienced than 'get everything he feels like'. The worlds he's been to weren't quite as forgiving as one would expect. He doesn't really mention the small stuff, though. Just the big stuff.  
But anyway, enjoy the story!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1/New worlds await**

As was tradition in the Tristain Academy of Magic, the second year mages would summon a single beast to be their familiar, to serve them for the rest of their lives. As was also tradition, said familiar would represent the mage that summoned accurately, a true reflection of the mage's ability.

Unfortunately, not all traditions are upheld.

* * *

Professor Jean Colbert was _not_ in a happy mood today. His latest experiment had quite literally exploded in his face, ruining his favorite robe, and causing him to miss breakfast. And after hearing of Fouquet's latest theft and Reconquista's latest attacks on the Albion Nobility, he could only be on guard. War was something he didn't want to be in again.

Which was why he _really_ didn't like the fact that the second years had to summon a familiar on their first day back from their summer vacation. Really, the students didn't do that much, although being Nobles probably had something to do with that. Colbert sighed as the next student, the Germanian Kirche von Zerbst, summoned a fire salamander. Of course it was natural, the redheaded student being a fire mage, and all, but would it be too much to ask for a student that summoned something that would really help out?

Out of all the familiars, mostly cats, dogs, and other creatures of the like, only the blue dragon really seemed helpful, a very fast, somewhat durable messenger that could carry passengers, and could probably use magic to a very limited degree.

Perhaps a useful Familiar _was_ too much to ask for.

"Oh, Professor Colbert. _Zero_ Louise hasn't summoned her familiar yet."

Colbert sighed again. "Miss Valliere."

A pinkette eeped from behind the crowd, as it parted to allow her to walk forward. Miss Valliere was very good, in Colbert's opinion, however all her spells simply ended in explosions. While that wasn't bad _at all_ , her classmates tormented her about her lack of success in any of the spells she tried. He tried to ignore the other student's snide remarks.

"Do you think she'll just make an explosion again?"

"Probably, just like every spell she tries."

Miss Valliere sighed as she approached the summoning circle, raising her wand. "My servant that exists somewhere in this vast universe,"

A blonde girl, Montmorency de Montmorency, raised an eyebrow. "What kind of strange chant is that?"

The blonde boy next to her, Guiche de Gramont, nodded his consented agreement. "It's unique, at least."

Miss Valliere ignored them. "My divine, beautiful, wise, powerful servant, heed my call, I wish from very bottom of my heart and add to my guidance and appear!"

* * *

A boy wearing a white t-shirt, along with black jeans, was jogging down a street. It wasn't unusual for him, since he went out for runs often. It also wasn't unusual for him to see something interesting every so often, this world _had_ discovered ways to travel to other worlds, and along with that, magic.

So it wasn't unusual for him when a green portal opened up in front of him.

Naturally, the first thing he did was stop in front of it. "Portal, from the looks, a Summons portal. I'm not prepared for this, I'm just a civilian."

He pulled a device from his pocket, and small black box with one button on it. He pushed said button, and waited, as the box began projecting a magic circle under the portal.

* * *

"General Acel sir, a portal has appeared. From the data, it's a Summons portal with an unknown destination world. Portal currently stable."

General Acel "Accelerator" Martel nodded, adjusting his military uniform. "Very well, have Marcus and Zero returned from their current mission?"

The response was quick, as to be expected. "Yes, sir."

Excellent. Acel loved sending Marcus into these things. The boy loved it too. "Then send them. I don't want a rookie team in unknown territory."

"Of course, sir. Sending message now."

* * *

Marcus listened to the message through his earpiece, nodding and occasionally adjusting his combat uniform under his duster coat. "Zero, we've got another mission. Summons portal with an unknown destination world. My old man wants us to go. Oh, it's recon and exploration only. Sorry, you're going to be bored for a while."

He glanced over at Zero, who stepped forward, his boots echoing on the floor. Marcus grinned. He loved adventuring, even if his old man forced him to be diplomatic about it. "Let's go, then. I've already received the location. I'll lead."

* * *

Saito hadn't waited long before two men, one of them being _Marcus Martel_ of all people, showed up. "Good job, kid. If you want to come along, you'll have to sign the waiver."

Saito shook his head. "I'm not ready for these kinds of things. Good luck, though."

Marcus shook his head sadly. "What's your name, kid?"

The boy was quick to give the older man an answer. "Saito Hiraga, sir."

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Interesting name. Are you an exchange student?"

Saito nodded. "Transferred last year from Japan."

"How's New France for you?"

He shrugged to show his indifference. "It's been good so far. The language is a little strange, but overall, it's a good experience. Considering this was once part of the Wasteland, I'm rather impressed."

Marcus smiled. "You good with magic, Saito?"

"I'm alright. Nothing too impressive, though."

Marcus chuckled. "Don't be too modest. If you're interested in the Exploration Committee, sign up. Maybe we'll see each other again, Saito."

Saito saluted Marcus, as the latter and Zero walked through the portal.

* * *

Professor Colbert was worried now. "This is taking longer than expected. The portal's been open for at least ten minutes."

Said portal suddenly fluctuated violently, as two figures stepped out: a man in a combat uniform under a horse riding coat, and a man with armored clothing, with black, crystalline arms that ended in vicious looking claws. The man in the combat uniform looked around at the students, then at Professor Colbert. "I apologize for the interruption. We were instructed to investigate a Summons portal. Is this the right place?"

Professor Colbert, along with the students, were astonished. Louise had summoned _commoners_? Well, not commoners. The man was too well dressed. Maybe a noble, and _his_ familiar?

"Well, anyways, I do need to talk with a government official about trading and military policies. Do you know where I can find the right one for that?"

Miss Valliere blinked, then Colbert saw her regain her composure. "I'm sorry, sir, but you've stepped through a familiar portal. That makes you my familiar now."

The man chuckled. "I'm sorry, little miss, but you see, I just can't do that."

Miss Valliere blinked again. "What?"

The man straightened his uniform. "You see, little miss -"

"Louise."

The man was not helping things go smoothly, Colbert thought. But he just kept talking. "You see, Louise, I cannot be summoned as a familiar, or really, as a servant in general. I'm an explorer, so that would be a bit difficult to do if I was bound to serve someone. Although, that does explain the odd feeling when we stepped through the portal."

Neither Miss Valliere nor Colbert himself were amused by this. "I am Louise Francoise Le Blanc de la Valliere. You walked through that portal, and you are my familiar."

The man frowned. "Valliere, huh?"

He looked at his companion. "You remember the last Valliere, right?"

The companion nodded, and the man's frown deepened. Now Colbert was terrified. What happened to the last Valliere this man had met? A few ideas came to mind, but they weren't pleasant. "Okay, I'm offering a proposal. We become partners, alright? You help me with my job, and in exchange, I'll help you with whatever you need."

This was interesting. Miss Valliere asked the most obvious question. "What's your job?"

"I'm an ambassador from my world. I explore other worlds, and set up trade and military policies, along with recording the mechanics of said worlds. Can you help me with that?"

An ambassador? From his world? Wait, another _world_? Miss Valliere, not being Colbert, seemed unfazed, and asked the question Colbert knew she would ask. "And you'll help me?"

Truly, his heart went out to Miss Valliere. Apparently the man's did as well. "Of course. It's not entirely my official job, but I do try to help other people."

Louise scowled. "Maybe. I'll have to think about it."

Colbert gave his silent agreement. This man was questionable in his ethics, although, he was also a stranger. Said man nodded, glancing at the portal. "Well, the portal's still stable, so I can -"

The portal fluctuated violently, before closing entirely, resulting in an explosion. "Never mind. Well, I can't do much about that."

He looked around, before finding his companion rubbing a blue dragon's head. "Zero!"

The companion turned around, and Miss Valliere flinched. "Try not to kill anything while I'm gone. You have free reign for now."

The companion nodded, before resuming rubbing the dragon.

Miss Zerbst smirked. "His name's Zero? Seems fitting, the zero familiar of Zero Louise."

A gust of wind brushed past her, and _something_ slammed into the wall behind her, damaging it. Colbert turned around to see the Zero pinned to the wall by the man, who was clearly annoyed by the attempt. "Didn't I _just_ say not to try and kill anything?"

Colbert looked at Miss Zerbst. She merely looked over at Zero in shock. "Were you going to cut my tongue out?"

Zero shrugged as he pushed the man off of him, his master glaring at him for his subordination. "I apologize for Zero's actions, miss. He is a weapon, after all. A bit unwieldy, but I'm good with most weapons."

"Oh? So he's not your familiar?"

The strange, strange man shook his head. "Nope, he's just a human weapon. Well, not really human, but you get the point. I'm just the guy that restrains him. Perks of being a general's son, I guess."

The young Gramont looked at him curiously. "You're the son of a general?"

The man nodded. "Yep. My old man is General Acel. I suppose you've never heard of him, but it doesn't really matter. Before anyone asks, we're not here for conquest of any kind. We're simply looking for trade."

The boy nodded, waving a rose with a flourish. "Well, I haven't properly introduced myself. My name is Guiche de Gramont, son of General de Gramont."

The man nodded slightly. "My name's Marcus Martel. It's nice to meet you, Guiche. While Louise is thinking over my proposal, let's have a quick chat, shall we?"

The young man nodded, eyes full of interest. "Of course, it would only be becoming of a noble such as myself to discuss the matters of Generals like our fathers."

Marcus chuckled. "Let's go then. Zero, I'm off. Don't hurt anyone."

And with that, Marcus was off, leaving the frightened students, and Colbert, with Zero.

* * *

Marcus was frowning by the time Guiche finished telling him about his family. "Guiche, sit down for a moment. I need to tell you something."

Guiche stopped, frowning, but complied anyway. "Yes, what is it?"

"Guiche, based on everything you've told and shown me, I'm sorry to say it, but you don't seem likely to ever succeed your father or your brothers."

Guiche was, unsurprisingly, shocked at this assessment. Granted, he had every right to be. "What reasoning do you have for such an accusation?"

Marcus decided to start with, _everything_. "I'll start with your magic. You use bronze for your constructs. _Bronze_ , Guiche. Against most other mages, bronze isn't a very good material to use. It has a lower melting point than steel, which makes your Valkyries weak against fire mages, and is weaker than steel too, which makes the Valkyries weak against other earth mages. A strong wind mage can blow it away, or electrocute it, and a strong water mage can wear it down given enough time. I'd suggest studying other materials to find a better material to use. Something stronger and lighter for the Valkyries, and stronger and a combination of heavier and lighter for different weapons. A claymore, for example, would be better if it was heavier, as it would be used for slow, powerful swings. A rapier, on the other hand, would be more effective it it was lighter, as the wielder would be able to move faster, with quicker stabs and slashes. Here."

He handed Guiche a thick book. The boy was obviously confused. "What's this?"

Marcus had received the once empty book from his father when he was just a child, although it made him pleased to say that he had collected and detailed various materials from different worlds. Every time he went to a new world, he would take note of new resources and materials native to that world. A fun side hobby, really. "It's a book detailing various materials. It also automatically translates into the native language of the reader. I'm going to challenge you to a duel in four days. Read up, experiment, study your father's tactics. In the meantime, I'm going to learn more about this world from Louise."

Guiche stared at him in confusion. "Why the Zero, though? I'd think it would be more effective to go to the professors, and learn more about each individual element from specialists."

Marcus tilted his head. "Why do you call her Zero? That's something I don't understand."

Guiche sighed. "We call her the Zero because she has zero success in magic. Every spell ends in an explosive failure. The familiar summoning spell is the first spell that worked, except you said you can't be a familiar, so even that spell failed."

Marcus sighed. He knew that feeling, or rather, Zero knew that feeling. "I didn't realize it was that bad for her. Reminds me of my Zero, in a sense."

"Your Zero? How?"

Marcus had never found Explanation Time to be fun. "Keep in mind that Zero is a weapon, albeit a rather unconventional one at that. When he was first made, Zero was a prototype, a proof of concept. He wasn't made to be used as a good weapon, and he wasn't going to be included in the actual numbered products. With better funding to make better versions of the weapon, the newer models would perform much better than him. Zero would be scrapped, killed even."

It was the False God that had done that, in a show of power to intimidate Marcus. Guiche raised an eyebrow. "What changed all that?"

Boasting Time was far more fun. "Zero didn't like the most likely outcome. So he went out, completed missions, and slaughtered the newer models. He proved himself a true weapon, more powerful than any other that tried to outdo him."

To be specific, slaughtering all the other clones of the False God, and the Purging Flame. But Guiche didn't need to know that. "How does that relate to Louise?"

Did the boy seriously not understand what Marcus was telling him? "Louise is, in this case, probably the strongest, or at least the most useful person here, and she simply doesn't realize it. If every spell ends in an explosion, what damage would be caused if she actually _tried_ to cast an explosion spell of any kind?"

Guiche's eyes widened in realization. Finally. "It would be extremely destructive."

Marcus nodded in agreement. He would have fun testing just how destructive little Louise could be. "Exactly. I'm probably going to be an honorary familiar for her, to keep her from killing everything by accident."

"As opposed to on purpose, then?"

Marcus chuckled. "That I will allow. By the way, you should get started. You have four days to prepare for our duel. By the way, I obtained all the materials for that book myself."

With that, Marcus left the shocked Guiche, whistling as he returned to the Academy.

* * *

"Louise!"

Louise was surprised when Marcus knelt down next to her, interrupting her thinking. "What is it?"

"I'll be your honorary familiar. Is that okay?"

He was being suspicious. "I suppose. Your first offer was alright, though."

"Hey, don't worry. You still summoned a familiar. It's fine."

Of course. She was Louise the Zero, Marcus had probably heard about that, and taken pity on her. She didn't want his pity. "You heard about the Zero thing, didn't you?"

The man scowled. "You mean the 'Louise the Zero' thing? Then yeah, I did."

Louise looked downcast. Every time, it was Louise the Zero, or Zero Louise. "It's alright. I'm still a Zero. I failed in every one of my spells, even the familiar summoning ritual."

Marcus cupped her chin, making her look him in the eyes. How dare he! She was an engaged woman, after all! That rapscallion, that - "Look. I'm going to be blunt. I talked to Guiche about this, and we figured something important out."

He was being suspicious again. "What is it?"

"If you try to cast an explosion spell with even the slightest bit of self-confidence, it would be devastating to _everything_ around you."

Louise's eyes widened, then she leaned back, exasperated. How had _she_ not thought of that? "Why didn't _I_ think of that?"

"Because you were so focused on the fact that you didn't complete the intended spell. Everyone was."

True, Marcus, so very true. "So, I could be the most destructive noble here?"

"Yes. Your magic could easily outclass most of the other destructive spells here. So, what do you say?"

Louise was grinning. This, was a good day for her. "Of course, Familiar."

Marcus deadpanned. "Louise, just remember I am a familiar only in name, not in function."

That dampened her mood a bit. "Oh, right."

"I'll act the part in public, but in both public and private, I'm still a person, and the son of a general at that. Should any injuries be inflicted on my person, I could declare war on this world, and wipe out everyone involved with the initial conflict. That could be this school, this country, this continent, or this entire _world_."

Oh. That would be problematic. "Oh."

He chuckled at her. That man was beginning to grate on her nerves. "But don't worry too much about that kind of thing happening. I probably won't do that."

Louise sighed in relief. Thank goodness for little things.

"I also have a name. It's Marcus. I suggest you use it."

Simple enough. "Of course, Marcus."

* * *

The afternoon went by without incident.

Then came dinner.

"You're not a noble, but I got permission from the headmaster to let you eat here. Zero can't though."

Marcus nodded, not the least concerned. "It's fine. Zero."

Zero looked over at him. "Dinnertime. Helm unlocked. Make it quiet, please."

Zero nodded, then left, then Louise piped up. "Doesn't he usually eat with you?"

"He hunts for food at night. I have to give permission to unlock the armor, though. I removed the sleeves, since it was uncomfortable for his arms. Now, let's eat."

He sat down next to Louise, but was confused when she didn't eat. "What's wrong?"

"We have to give thanks to the Founder for this meal."

Nope. Not happening. "I see. That's how it is. Well, nice meal, but I'm going to walk around a bit. I lost my appetite."

Louise grabbed his arm. "Why?"

He shook her off. "Personal reasons. Don't ask."

"But -"

"Later."

With that, he was off. Honestly, people like these were going to be the death of him.

* * *

Marcus was sitting by a washing basin when a maid walked by, carrying an armload of clothes. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't think there was anyone here."

"It's fine. Do you need help?"

"Sure."

Marcus took the pile of clothes from the black haired maid, and began washing them.

"You're very good at this. Oh, my name's Siesta."

"Name's Marcus."

Siesta continued washing. "Nice to meet you Marcus."

"Same to you. Tell me, what requirements to a noble?"

"You have to be able to use magic, although the Germanians can buy their nobility."

Marcus nodded slowly, continuing his work. "I see. So, can anyone learn magic?"

"No, one has to be born with magic."

"So, proof of nobility is the ability to use magic?"

"Yes."

That left a bad taste in Marcus' mouth. _Nobility_ through magic? Even a infant could see the problems with that! "Why am I not surprised?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind. Where I come from, anyone can learn magic with enough dedication. There's no nobility, either."

It was true, that there was no real nobility in his world. Granted, if someone were to try and rule over the majority, it would simply backfire. One cannot rule many of equal strength, was a common proverb in New France.

Siesta, on the other hand, was comically amazed at the common sense. "No nobility? Just commoners with magic?"

"Maybe. But magic isn't something easily gained, so it shouldn't be abused, and neither should people. Even a humanoid weapon is treated like a person. Ah, we're done."

Siesta bowed. "Thank you for your help."

"Not a problem. It's relaxing to do something like this. Well, see you around."

* * *

Marcus walked by a couple speaking to each other by the wall of the Academy. "Oh, Drefan. Do you really love me?"

Of course, the blonde fop answered with a cheesy one-liner. Marcus thanked every higher deity this world's people believed in that it wasn't Guiche talking. "Of course, Katie. I could never tell a lie to your eyes."

Marcus grinned. "Ah, it's the blonde fop from before."

Drefan turned around, his eyebrow twitching. "Oh, it's the _commoner_ Louise summoned."

Wow, real noble of you, Drefan. "Ignore me for now, I'm just passing through."

Marcus continued on, grin widening. ' _Three, two, one.'_

"I am not a fop!"

Called it.

* * *

"Ah, the girl from before. Very pretty dragon, by the way."

Tabitha didn't look up from her book. "Familiar."

"Yes, I'm Louise's honorary familiar." He looked at her for a bit, studying her reaction. She kept it cold and collected.

"On a personal note, if you need help, ask."

What. Tabitha's eyes flickered to him, then back to the book. How did he know that. "How?"

He chuckled. "Did I know? You do _not_ live as long as I have without being able to notice these kinds of things. Seriously, if you need help, just ask."

Silence met his offer. No use accepting poisoned wine from strangers, her mother had once told her. It was a strange saying, right before she went mad. "Meh. It's fine. My offer still stands."

He walked to the edge of the roof, and jumped.

Tabitha heard neither a crash nor a thud, but she ignored that fact.

The familiar would be fine.

* * *

"Hey, Louise."

Louise let out a startled gasp as Marcus climbed in through her third floor window. A _third floor_ window. What? "How did you even do that? This is the third floor!"

"Please. Like something so trivial would stop me. Besides, I climbed down from the roof. The girl up there looked lonely."

Louise raised an eyebrow. Who did he mean? "Girl on the roof?"

"Blue hair, her familiar is a dragon."

Oh, he meant Tabitha. "That would be Tabitha."

"Interesting name. Not quite in line with what I expected."

He was more confusing every single time he opened his mouth. "What did you expect?"

"A more conventional name. Maybe Charlotte. It's French, so it should fit."

Louise's eyebrow raised some more. French? What was French? "What's French?"

"It's the language of a country in my world. Is Tristania big?"

Way to aim low, Marcus. Real professional of the ambassador from... somewhere. Louise wasn't paying too much attention to his introduction. It was probably not _too_ important. "No. It's surrounded by Germania and Gallia, both bigger than Tristania."

"Close to New Germany and New France in my world. Maybe this country is New Belgium?"

Louise shrugged. What was he going on about now? "I would have no idea."

"I'll ask questions, and you answer to the best of your abilities. First question. What are the Westernmost countries in the north that aren't landlocked?"

Something so simple? He must have been from a really backwater village somewhere. "Germania, Tristainia, Gallia, and Romalia. Albion is an island."

"Is Germania is a large country, relatively here?"

He took out a map, and Louise pointed to where Tristania would be. "Yes. Tristania would be here, Gallia would be here, and Romalia would be here. What's this country here?"

"It's a country called New Spain. Ignore that for now."

Wow. Rude. "And this one here?"

"New Portugal. Ignore that too. Go east."

Ignoring the commoner, Louise moved her finger to the right, tapping an area near the New East. "There would be the Holy Lands. The Founder lost those to the Elves."

"Elves?"

No, the saurians. Yes the Elves! "Yes. The Elves are the ones that took the Holy Lands from the Founder Brimir after a war."

"Right. Are these elves more advanced than humans?"

"Of course. Their magic is different, but the Founder managed to drive them away with a powerful Void spell."

Marcus' eye twitched ever so slightly. "And this Void, what does it do?"

And now with the difficult questions. Such a smooth progression, Marcus. "Nobody knows. It's the lost element of the pentagram."

"And the others are the classical elements?"

Louise tilted her head in confusion. "Classical... elements?"

"Fire, Water, Earth, Air."

How were those are classical elements? "Oh, then yes."

"How are mages classified?"

Simple questions from simple people. Such is the life of Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere. "Mages that use one element are called dot mages. Mages that can use two elements in conjuction are called line mages. Three form a triangle, and four form a square."

Marcus nodded, deep in thought. "So, can a line mage use two of the same element for a line spell, or does it have to be two different elements?"

Simple questions, once again. "It can be the same element."

"So, what prevents a mage from casting a spell with the same element stacked more than four times, given enough power to cast the spell?"

A more complex question, but Louise knew more than enough about Magic Theory to answer him. "Four times is the most an element can be stacked. It's just how our magic works. We've tried stacking more, but the spell becomes unstable, and collapses, no matter how much effort is put into stabilizing it."

"Can an element be stacked with another element?"

Would the questions never end? Why was Marcus still asking them? "Of course. But the mage's affinity usually limits the control."

Marcus placed a hand on his chin for a moment, then looked at Louise confidently. "I see. We start your training tomorrow."

He was being suspicious, and worrying her. It was scary. "What are we doing?"

"If everything explodes, it means there's too much power, or there's too little control without an affinity."

Wow. Because _nobody's_ thought of testing that, Marcus. "But I've tried all the elements, and none of them work for me."

"Don't worry, you'll see soon enough."

Marcus' grin was very worrying to Louise, even as he opened the window, and climbed out. Wait.

How did Marcus get on the roof?

* * *

 **A/N: An important question indeed. Marcus has his ways.  
** **Thus Louise's training begins. Next chapter, of course.**


	2. ClairVOIDance

**A/N: Well, I'm back with no reviews :( but I'll let it slide for now. After all, only the first chapter was up. *Cough* leave a review *cough*. But now, things get interesting. Marcus starts abusing loopholes in FOZ's magic system, then proves his strength in a duel against a noble (Not Guiche, that's for later) No, despite the fact that Marcus means "warlike" and "hammer", and Martel also means "warlike" and"hammer" doesn't mean he's a warlike hammer wielder. He's just... uh... a 'mage' who uses a hammer (that's not Mjolnir). Sure. Let's go with that.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2/ClairVOIDance**

 **The next morning.**

Marcus refused to let Louise sleep in. There was training to do! "Louise, time to get up."

"..."

"Louise. Get up."

"..."

Marcus sighed, before picking up a bucket of water. Kids these days, always sleeping in.

"Louise. Last chance to get up."

"... Murgle."

Taking that as a no, Marcus rolled his eyes.

Then he dumped the water on Louise.

 _That_ got her up quickly. Heh, heh.

"Hey, what was that for? Huh? Oh, you're the guy from yesterday."

Wow. Just, _wow_. " _The guy_ has a name, you know. Come on, it's time to start training."

Louise rubbed her eyes, looking out the window.

It was still dark out.

Louise proceeded to state the obvious. "It's still dark out."

"Oh, good. You can make basic observations."

She half glared at him, the other half too sleepy. "Hey, you. I'm a noble. Show more -"

She promptly yawned, then fell back asleep on the wet bed. Marcus rolled his eyes, before dumping another bucket of water on Louise. It was a good thing he had a spare just in case this happened. Of course now Siesta was going to have to dry the sheets.

Louise on the other hand... "Hey! I'm tired, so let me sleep."

Marcus was not amused anymore. "Training starts now, Louise. Get up, get dressed, and get outside."

"What about breakfast?"

Enough of her complaining. Why was she still doing it? "You'll be more alert for breakfast after training. Now, get up if you're worthy of holding the title of a Noble."

Louise grumbled in objection, but got up anyway.

* * *

"Did we have to run this far?"

It wasn't that far. "It's not that far, only about eight kilometers."

In fact, it was almost a tenth of his normal morning run, with Louise slowing the pace considerably. Said Louise glared at him. Oh, boy, an angry child. What next, nice nobility?

... There had to be at least one of those _somewhere_.

"So, what are we doing now?"

Children were so impatient nowadays. Marcus would have had a lot more issues with Louise if she couldn't even dress herself properly. Alas, life was fortunate for him. "I've written up several spells I want you to try."

"I can't do any spells."

Explosions are spells, Marcus thought dryly. So was dispel, and whatever other spells mages could do. He himself was a decent mage, capable of ripping spells into bits with his bare hands. "Humor me."

"Fine."

Yay, compliance. "The first one is explosion. Should be easy enough."

"HEY! Is that supposed to imply something?"

Was she blind to insults? Of course it was. "Of course not. Get exploding."

Louise pouted, then pointed her wand at a faraway tree. "Explosion."

The tree, naturally, exploded, leaving smoke covering the immediate area. Marcus grinned at the result. Today, was a _very_ good day for him. "Congratulations, Louise. You've successfully casted explosion."

The smoke was beginning to clear, and Marcus' grin widened. "I amend that statement. You've casted explosion, and it ended wonderfully."

Louise's eyes widened when she saw the result of her spell, and Marcus chuckled at her childish reaction. Explosives were wonderful, especially when someone can point and make things _explode_.

The crater was roughly twenty meters wide, and its edges were completely smooth. A decent anti-army attack. Louise would be much more useful on the battlefield if this was her default spell. Although he would have to do more testing to figure out how large she could make this spell at dot level.

"So very wonderfully."

Louise was speechless, and a little bit wobbly, but Marcus was almost giddy at the end result. Finally, someone who could be of use to him! Even if she was a little disoriented after, it was better than nothing.

"Well, that answers that. Time to do the next spell. Follow me."

"Wait, what?"

* * *

They reached the new clearing soon enough. "This should be enough room."

"For what?"

The clearing was rather large, and although it would be fine for another explosion, Marcus had said she was doing another spell. Unfortunately or not, depending on how well it ended. "Now, I want you to do this spells, with this circle layout."

He handed her a paper, and her eyes widened as she read it. "This is impossible, no mage could cast pentagon class or higher, let alone a _hexadecagon_ class spells! Nobility can cast hexagon spells, but they require _two_ people, not one! And what's this about using one's hand? Our magic requires an external focus."

Why did children disbelieve so much? He hadn't complained when he was a child. He was too busy killing clones to complain. "Try them. You know magic theory well enough to do these spells right. This is just a little, _extra_."

Louise sighed, then raised her hand.

* * *

The two returned just in time for breakfast, Marcus politely excusing himself beforehand, and the other students were amazed at just how fast Louise ate her meal.

"Wow, little Louise. What were you doing earlier to make you that hungry?"

"Training. Now let me eat, I ran eight kilometers just to get here."

Kirche giggled. "Your familiar made you do that?"

"Well, his training did pay off. I can do something not even you can do."

This piqued Kirche's interest. "Oh, really? And what would that be?"

"I already said, let me eat, Zerbst."

Kirche pouted. "Oh, little Louise. You can't keep a secret forever."

Someone tapped Kirche on the shoulder. "Enough."

"Fine, Tabitha. I'll stop."

* * *

Marcus entered the room, noting the bearded old man sitting behind the desk. Probably the Headmaster. "Headmaster?"

"Oh, call me Old Osmond. Everyone does."

Excellent. One more person to be of use to him. That made three so far. "Old Osmond. I would like to request for a personal maid for Louise."

"Oh? Why would that be?"

Explanation Time. Yippee. "I'm an honorary familiar, not a real one. It would be better for her if she had someone that would be able to execute the duties of a familiar, as well as someone of the same gender and similar age she could relate to. Therefore, I would like to request for a personal maid for Louise."

"Did you have anyone in mind?"

Of course he did. Why else would he be here? "Yes."

"Is this maid going to be filed under Louise, or your name, Marcus? If you're the son of a general, you _are_ technically a noble."

"Both. Call it military and political protection."

* * *

Marcus found Siesta washing more clothes. "Hey, Siesta. Sorry about making you dry Louise's bed this morning."

"Oh, it's fine, Marcus. Really."

Good, she wasn't mad. "So, I talked to the headmaster earlier. He agreed to make you Louise's and my personal maid."

"Eh? But, I'm just a regular maid."

And an exceptional one at that. "A regular maid who's willing to help at normally unreasonable hours. Besides, Louise would be happy to have someone to help her with her daily routines. She's going to be tired from her training, after all."

"What kind of training?"

Probably impossible spell arrays. "Very complex magic spells."

"They don't explode?"

Only the explosion one, (un)fortunately. "Only the explosion spell does."

Siesta giggled. "Well, I suppose I could."

"Don't worry, you'll get a stipend for it. You're working here because you need money, right?"

"Well, my family's poor, so I'm sending money home."

Marcus could solve that problem absurdly quickly. "Okay, so I'll set aside a portion of your salary to go directly to your family, then."

"Could you really do that?"

Of course he could. "Of course."

* * *

Lunchtime came around, with the students spending their time getting to know their familiars. Not a bad idea, especially since most of the familiars were animals.

Louise was nowhere to be found, though, and Marcus was confused.

"Tabitha, do you know where Louise went?"

Tabitha shook her head.

"Then, where is she?"

He was interrupted by a boy's voice. "Maid, this tea you just served me is cold."

"I'm sorry sir."

Marcus stiffened at hearing Siesta dealing with the blonde boy, Drefan, he recalled.

"You should be, you worthless commoner!"

Marcus caught Drefan's hand as he was about to strike Siesta. Servant abuse was _not_ tolerated, _ever_. "Now, Drefan, was it? I really can't have you hitting my maid now."

"Then, why was _your_ maid serving _me_?"

Marcus glared at the impudent child. "Because I ordered her continue her daily duties as a maid of this Academy."

Like hell he would let someone get away with this. "You know, the mistakes of the servant are the mistakes of the master, and mistakes are punishable."

Did the whelp want to challenge the alpha wolf? Let him try. "You make it sound like you're trying to threaten me."

"I, Drefan de Dean, challenge you to a duel!"

But not now. Marcus had tea waiting for him. "I decline."

"Good, now the duel will be - WAIT! You can't just decline a duel. Have you no honor?"

Honor? _What_ honor? "There is no honor in killing children who do not wish to kill."

"I am a line class wind mage. There is no way a commoner like you could kill me."

A hand rested on Drefan's shoulder. Oh, Guiche was back from training for today. It was probably only for brunch. "Drefan, this is no ordinary commoner. He possesses knowledge beyond our own comprehension, and the strength to support any challenge he makes."

Drefan turned around. "Guiche? What are you doing here?"

"Montmorency healed me earlier today. I'm just here for brunch, then it's back to training for me. Marcus, where's Louise?"

Called it! Marcus shrugged. "I have no idea. She ran away after our training. But I suppose, I could accept this duel, if just for a show of power."

Guiche's eyes widened, and he jumped in front of Marcus. "You can't! Killing a noble could mean death for you too."

Aw, Guiche was worried for his safety. How cute. "Relax, I won't kill him."

"Are you sure?"

He kind of was. "I'm mostly sure. Drefan, when do you want to have this duel?"

"Thirty minutes from now, in Vestri Court."

Marcus nodded. "Guiche, where is Vestri Court?"

"I'll show you. Please don't kill him."

Like he would waste his time killing a whelp like Drefan. "Don't worry, I won't kill him."

He thought about it for a moment. "I _probably_ won't kill him."

Guiche frowned at him, his arms crossed. "That's not reassuring at all."

Of course it was!

* * *

"I must congratulate you on not running away."

Serious business time. "I should say the same thing."

Marcus drew a large, short-handled hammer from his coat, holding it in his right hand. Drefan scoffed, "A hammer. Of course a commoner with no honor like you would use a hammer, not even a sword. A noble like me would use something dignified, like a wand."

He drew his wand, raising it. "Air -"

Nope. He was cut off by a loud boom, then realized the wand was out of his hand. He turned around, and gaped. The wall, reinforced with magic to resist magic and physical damage, had a large hole in it.

Marcus had thrown the hammer, and left a _hole_ in the Academy wall.

Marcus himself was a bit annoyed. "Sorry, I missed. I was aiming for your hand. The wand's not broken, but still, I thought the wall would be stronger than that. Guiche?"

"... I have no idea how to respond to that."

Fine by him. "Well, Drefan?"

The honorary familiar drew another hammer, but Drefan panicked. "I yield!"

What. Marcus was rather confused. "Yield?"

"I give up! Please stop."

The whelp thought he could escape judgement? He was wrong. So very, _very_ wrong. "You tried to injure my maid, challenged me to a duel, and proceeded with said duel after you learned that I was stronger than you, and most importantly, my tea is getting cold. Do you really think I'd stop with you uninjured?"

Guiche stared at him worriedly. "Marcus, if you keep going, you might kill him."

"Don't worry Guiche. It's a good lesson in humility. Who ever heard of a commoner killing a noble, with a hammer of all things?"

His summoner's voice rang out, " _MARCUS_!"

Marcus sighed. "Oh, Louise, you're back. I was wondering where you ran off to."

She was _fuming_. "Marcus, as you master, I demand that you stop this at once."

He'd give her leeway this time. After all, he was the familiar, and Louise the master. "Fine. But where'd you run off to? We still have training to do."

Louise paled, then ran off. The coward.

"She seems scared for some reason. Was it something I said?"

"..."

Maybe it was? Either way, she killed the mood. Now he had to be diplomatic again. "Oh well. Drefan, will you attack my maid anymore?"

"Of course not."

He would _learn_. "Remember if you do, you won't be missing just a hand. Now, I believe I had tea was waiting for me. I hope it's not too cold by now."

The students raised an eyebrow. How did someone transition from threatening a noble to causally talking about _tea_?

As easy as Marcus had just done.

* * *

 **That afternoon.**

"Class, transmutation is a key part in earth magic. Now, watch carefully."

The instructor waved her wand, a rock turning a golden hue. Pyrite, Marcus noted. How quaint. "Now, this isn't gold."

Guiche raised his hand. "Yes?"

Of course it would be him to answer the unspoken question. "It's pyrite."

The teacher was obviously pleased with this response. "An earth mage, I presume?"

Any earth mage worth their salt could figure that much out. "Yes, ma'am."

"Is there anyone here who would like to do a transmutation? You there, the one taking notes. You seem competent enough. Come up here."

Wow. Just wow. Louise looked up. "Okay."

"Wait, Louise isn't good at any spells! They all explode violently! Please don't make her try that spell!"

The class was practically begging the instructor to make Louise stop. She was rather bewildered by their insistence, but Marcus found it rather humorous as Louise walked up. "There's nothing dangerous about transmutation, children."

Well, there was, if Louise hadn't been trained to up the scale while keeping the input energy the same. It would have ended explosively, yet very productive for him. Nuclear reactions and all that could do the same, of course. A focused enough explosion could tear the bonds of the compounds, then another one would break the atoms. A third would force them into their new position, while a fourth would fuse them together. A bit inefficient, but better than nothing.

Louise turned around. "I can do it. Just watch."

She raised her wand, a large prism of rock rising from the ground.

She tapped the rock, and a gold color spread across the rock.

"Is, that _gold_?"

Yay. Guiche could make basic observations. Good job, Guiche. "Yes, Guiche, it is."

Louise wobbled slightly, then steadied herself. Willpower drain was taking its toll, but Louise should be fine. "I'll be fine."

She walked back to her seat, the rest of the class utterly shocked. Children are always shocked when something comes around that they've never seen before.

"Louise, is _that_ what you could do?"

"Maybe, Zerbst. Maybe not."

Marcus grinned. "Your training is paying off, Louise. Good job."

She looked at him with a slightly confused expression. Why was that? "The target was big enough. The rock summoned should have exploded, though. I don't know why it didn't."

Marcus shrugged, then went back to taking notes. He'd tell her later.

* * *

Marcus looked around for his 'summoner'. "Siesta, have you seen Louise around? It's not healthy to skip lunch."

"I believe she's avoiding you, Marcus."

What? Why would she do that? Marcus was a lovable person. "Why would that be?"

"Well, you woke her up extremely early to train this morning, and I believe she doesn't want to train during lunch."

He wasn't training. "Like I would train during lunch."

Siesta frowned at him.

He was doing pushups, while balanced on his thumb, positioned vertically on a precariously tilted chair, and snacking. A simple exercise to keep the body balanced.

"Really now, Marcus. Then what's this?"

Not training. "This is a simple exercise to keep my body balanced."

She deadpanned at him. "Balanced, he says."

"Am I not?"

"It's not that you aren't, it's the fact that you're doing this while eating."

"Don't be ridiculous. This is snacking. There's a difference."

Siesta rolled her eyes, a small smile flickering on her lips.

Marcus turned to see what Siesta was looking at. "Marcus Martel! I, Bridgette de Voclain, challenge you to a duel!"

The honorary familiar sighed. Not this again. "And here we go again. That's what, the fourth one during today's lunch?"

"Yes, Marcus, the fourth. That's the seventh one today."

Children. "I'll be back in a bit. Keep my tea warm, will you, Kirche?"

"Of course!"

She waved her wand, a small flame forming under the cup, then ran off to watch the duel. Marcus was pleased to have such nice friends.

* * *

More people were challenging him. "Marcus Martel! We challenge you to a duel!"

Not now, children. "Sorry, you'll have to take a number. Maybe after this one."

"Aww."

Heh, heh. Silly children. "Anyway, Bridgette, was it? Names here are rather diverse."

"Don't think you'll win this time!"

He wasn't going to lose, though. "That's what the other six said. Three of them at once, actually. Both groups."

"Well, I'm a triangle class fire mage! I won't lose!"

She _would_. Bridgette pointed her wand at him. "Firebolt!"

A sphere of fire blasted at Marcus at high speed, easily knocked away by his hammer. "Was that it? I'm saddened."

Marcus was suddenly behind her, but Bridgette wasn't done yet. She quickly moved out of the way, and pointed her wand again. "Firestorm!"

Marcus' eyes widened for a moment, before a huge column of fire burst from the ground, incinerating everything the flames touched. Silly children. "Not so easy to dodge now."

Idealism is for fools. "Eh, Louise makes spells better than this."

Bridgette froze, feeling the hammer resting against one side of her throat, Marcus' free hand against the other side.

"I yield. Marcus Martel wins."

The hammer was removed, and Marcus cracked his neck. Stiff joints were rather uncomfortable. "Oh, I think I see Louise. Any challengers wait a bit, I'll be right back. Go make a plan."

With that, he ran off. Time to chat with Louise.

* * *

"Louise."

Louise eeped, then spun around. "Uh, hey Marcus. How did your duels go?"

Rather boring, actually. "Boring. You'd make a better opponent. So, why are you avoiding me?"

"What? I'm not avoiding you. I just like enjoying my lunch without being interrupted by people challenging my familiar."

Yes, she was avoiding him. What a coward. "Well, I can't stop them from doing that. Really, why do people keep challenging me? I'm not that strong, so even if they do beat me, they'd just be beating a commoner in everyone else's eyes."

"The same commoner that's defeated _seven_ nobles so far, and several at once."

Really? That's what all this was about? Wimps. "Meh, that holds no meaning to me. When you're done eating, we have training to do."

She turned away from him. "This is why I eat my lunch away from you. You keep doing this. Isn't waking up in the dark to train enough?"

Of course not. "Only when you learn to avoid the water buckets. Then you can try to avoid ambushes during lunch as the next lesson."

Louise visibly paled at that. "Please don't do that."

The honorary familiar chuckled. "Well, that's that. Now, I have another bunch of mages to fight. I hope they have a plan this time. I left the three that challenged me with the rest of the school, with orders to make a plan. You can try too, you know. If you can hit me with an attack, I'll wake you up normally, late at that, and you can have the day off from training."

* * *

He's back! "Hey, I'm back."

Every student at the Academy proceeded to draw their wands at Marcus.

Excellent plan. "Ah, you really _can_ come up with a plan. I'm touched."

The rest of the students promptly fired at Marcus with everything at once, forming a huge sphere of molten rock, superheated water, and rapidly spinning air where Marcus was standing.

Not really. A simple one, in fact. But it would be good enough to beat Marcus. "Ah, I'm impressed. Hit the opponent with all the usable elements. It's lacking two things, though."

The students turned around, gaping at Marcus' uninjured form sitting on top of the wall. Not good enough, apparently. "Power and control. At best, it was a triangle class, but with so much willpower clashing and dispersing, it defeated the purpose of everyone firing at once."

Marcus moved to the side, dodging a beam of orange light fired from behind the crowd. What was that? "That's power. Several of the same square class fire spell, bound to each other. That's Louise for you."

Several more beams were fired at him, but he managed to dodge them, taking on a teaching posture, as if he were lecturing a class instead of dodging square class fire spells. That jerk. "Now class, it's best to take notes about this. After all, Louise is very good at Magic Theory. Who knows, maybe you'll all be able to do this one day?"

A beam of purple light barely missed him, and Marcus frowned. The class, on the other hand, wondered what that was supposed to be? "Okay, maybe not that one."

Something unique, perhaps. Purple, like the Void tower. Void? He drew his hammer, and deflected another purple beam. "Wow, Louise. I said hit me, not kill me."

Louise emerged from the crowd, barely fazed by the exertion of willpower. She raised her empty hand, then fired another beam of purple light, this one larger than the previous ones.

Marcus deflected it.

She raised her wand hand, and fired another beam, this one small and fast.

Marcus dodged it.

A pattern was forming here.

"Louise, let the others have a chance."

The 'others' simply shook their heads, giving Louise and Marcus room to fight. Marcus was saddened by this turn of events. "Fine, I see how it is."

He deflected another beam. "Needs more power."

Louise held her wand with both hands. "You're right. So here's some more power."

Marcus barely deflected the next beam. "Well, that was something."

He held out his arm, smoke rising from the arm of the duster. "You got a hit at least."

Louise pumped a fist into the air. "Yes!"

She then promptly passed out. One question hung in the air, thought by all, and spoken by few. "How did Louise the Zero manage to get a hit on someone the entire rest of the class couldn't? And what was that spell?"

It was a legitimate question, after all. But Marcus acted like wasn't. "Because I taught her a loophole in the mechanics of magic. She is quite good at Magic Theory, after all. That spell takes a lot of willpower, though, especially in rapid succession."

Professor Colbert ran up to Marcus, as the latter picked up Louise. "What exactly _was_ that spell? I've never seen anything like it."

"Of course you haven't. If you did, then everyone would have known about it. Come, we have much to talk about."

* * *

Old Osmond stared at Marcus, stroking his beard. This was troubling. _Very_ troubling. "What exactly did you teach Louise, and how did she learn it?"

Marcus waved a hand dismissively. Impudent child. "It's easy. First, take two spell, preferably triangle class or lower, but Louise is really only good with square class spells, then bind them to the same Void element. Since Louise is a square class Void mage-"

Colbert was as surprised as he was, though much more vocal about it. " _WHAT_?"

"I said, Louise is a Void mage. Took a bit of research, but Void _is_ the element with the lowest cost per spell for her. I don't know the politics about the Void element, but it's not my job to care. Now, do you want an explanation and learn something new to teach everyone here, or do you want to rant about one simple fact?"

Osmond narrowed his eyes. If Miss Valliere really was a Void mage... "Continue."

"Now, this technique is based on the fact that an element can be stacked four times. From here, the geometry of the spell, as well as the elements used, will affect the power and cost. Different elements have different costs for different mages. Now, elements can be viewed by their properties, which follow Aristotelian elements and qualities, which makes sense because of the old layout. But, Void isn't part of this pattern, and actually has different properties. Void itself as an element can be formed by finding the center of the elements, and moving in a certain direction changes it into another element. The fact of the matter is, stacking an element four times, then adding Void, allows for another four elements to be stacked on top of this Void element. This is theoretical, well tested, and repeatable by any Void Mage."

Osmond nodded. This was ridiculous, of course. Not a single mage could possibly pull off such a stunt. Even the Founder was said to have difficulty with normal, non-Void spells. "I see. We'll look into this. Professor Colbert?"

"Of course, at once."

Professor Colbert left with Marcus, leaving Osmond to finish his daily paperwork. Children were stress. Maybe he could smoke a bit to relieve that a bit of that stress.

* * *

Marcus woke Louise up extremely late. Best to get on her good side. "Well, Louise, it's late, and you need to get up. We have a long day ahead of us."

Louise sat up, wiping her eyes. "But you said you'd wake me up late."

He did. "Look outside."

Louise did, blinking. "It's light outside."

She was still stating the obvious. "Yep."

"It's about midmorning."

Basic observations easily made? "Yep."

"Oh, it's the day of Void."

"And you have no training for today."

Louise thought for a moment, but Marcus interrupted her musings. No more sleep for her. "We're going shopping, Louise, whether you want to or not."

"For what?"

Nothing much. "I need a forge."

"For. What."

Her tone was much harsher the second time. Best to explain. Marcus still _hated_ explaining, though. "I want to test the strengths of different catalysts, as well make some armor for you. Maybe a weapon would be good too."

"I am a noble. I do not need such commoner equipment."

First right, then wrong. How naive. "You were solely focused on me yesterday. What would prevent an assassin from stabbing you in the back, and killing you? Oh, wait. _Nothing_."

Louise's head sunk. "I get it. Let's go."

* * *

"So, what are we getting?"

More explaining. "First, we find some weapons. I doubt you've trained with melee weapons, but you'll need a weapon if you run out of willpower, in addition to making you much better at close range combat, and more difficult to battle in general."

"I suppose."

Oh look, a weapons shop! "Ah, here we go."

They entered said weapons shop, and Marcus noted the weasel-like man behind the counter. Nope, nothing wrong here. Nothing wrong at all. "Oh, a noble. Miss, this is a perfectly legal and legitimate business, I can assure you."

Louise nodded, looking around, and Marcus facepalmed. Shady people, were _shady_. "Louise, take a look around. Sir, I would like to have a word with you, _in private_."

The man paled, but nodded.

* * *

Behind closed doors, Marcus sighed, his face weary. "Look, there's not much I need. I need a few weapons for references, so I can forge some of my own. I don't plan on selling them, I plan on using them. So, what I need are just a few weapons, regardless of actual usability, and an anvil. I know you have the former. Do you have the latter, and if not, where can I find one?"

"Well, I suppose I could sell a few of my weapons to you, with an extra fee, of course, since they're not going to be used. As for the anvil, I have one in here that I could sell to you."

Excellent. An anvil for his hammer to pound. Wait. That sounded bad. Eh, it didn't matter to him. "How much do you think it would cost?"

"Hm, about five thousand gold pieces, more or less, based on the quality and quantity of the weapons you choose. The anvil itself is brand new, but nobody wants it."

A rip off, but better than nothing. "I see."

Louise's voice broke the conversation. "Hey!"

Marcus sighed. "I apologize for her. She's a little, hot headed at times."

The shopkeeper nodded his agreement. "Comes with being a noble."

Nobles were annoying. Really, they were. Child nobles even more so. "Are they all like that? I'm not from around here, so I wouldn't know."

"Yes, yes they are."

* * *

The two exited the back room, Marcus tilting his head at Louise's actions. She was arguing with a sword.

A rusty, _talking_ sword.

"Louise, why are you arguing with a sword?"

She turned to him, clearly angry. "Because it insulted me!"

Time to ask the questions."Sword, what's your name?"

The sword moved a piece above its guard that suspiciously like a mouth. "I am the mighty Lord Derfflinger! You will bow before me!"

Of course, a noble _sword_. "Derfflinger, what exactly did you say to her?"

"Well, I said I expected someone a little better in the looks department as a wielder."

Marcus nodded in understanding. "I see."

"Marcus, that's it? 'I see.'? He insulted me!"

Marcus strode over, plucking Derfflinger from Louise's hand. Foolish sword, he had no idea who he was talking to. "When I get insulted, I deal with it. Usually it's in combat, but you know, dead people don't talk. When it's not, they live with the regret for the rest of their _very short_ lives. So, Derf, you must be pretty old, right? How old?"

Derf was _much_ more cautious with his next words. "Yes, I am quite old. I am actually around six thousand years old."

Six thousand years wasn't old at all! Marcus was old. Well, the universe was old too, but still, Marcus was pretty damn old. "So, you've really gotten around, then. This should be fun."

He looked around, picking out various weapons. "We'll take this halberd, this knife, this broadsword, this longsword, this axe, this pike, this zweihander, these brass knuckles, this other broadsword, ooh, this flamberge, this backsword, and this angon."

Derf clanked in his sheath. "What's the angon for?"

Too many explanations! "Guiche, a friend of mine. I'm going to give this to him if I think he needs a better spear weapon for his golem constructs."

"Sure, sure. How many of these weapons do you think you're going to use?"

Him? Use anything other than his trusty hammer? The very thought was outrageous. "Me? None of them. Louise is going to try these out, along with any of the other mages that want to use a weapon for non-magical combat. I particularly like the flamberges in melee combat, even if I don't use them. Have you ever faced one, Derf?"

"Of course I have. They're extremely painful. Why do you like them?"

And Derf was still in one piece. Good job, Derf. "Because a well placed hit with one can break a halberd. It's very comical to watch that happen."

"You're right about that. Have you ever seen one break a sword before?"

That sounded fun. "No, but that sounds like fun to watch."

"It is."

Louise tapped her foot in irritation. "Are you going to talk about you commoner adventures, or are you going to buy these weapons?"

Marcus rolled his eyes. She was mad, but still, _commoner_ stung. Way to aim low, Louise. Way to aim low. "Yes, Louise. So, how much?"

The shop owner looked at the weapons, calculating the cost. "Six thousand gold pieces."

"Six thousand! You could buy a mansion and the forest behind it for that much."

Marcus rolled his eyes. Vacuous Louise. "Remember Louise, a good weapon is worth as much as a house. After all, can a mansion kill a robber on the side of a road?"

Louise pressed her fingers together. "I suppose not, but still, six thousand gold pieces is a lot."

He shook his head. Last counterargument. "Is it too much for you?"

"No, it's just a lot for some weapons that might not be used."

"Then it's fine." He turned to the shopkeeper. "Sir, let's make a deal."

The shopkeeper looked back at Marcus, intrigued. "What kind of deal?"

Marcus was in businessman form now. Nothing would stop him. NOTHING! "I make whatever weapons you want for the next year, and in exchange, you give us these weapons for free, along with a portion of the sellings from my weapons."

"Hm, I suppose I could do that. But can you make _any_ weapon?"

He was Marcus Martel. If he couldn't make simple weapons, he wouldn't be called the Godsmith. Foolish mortal, bow before the power of the IMMORTAL GODSMITH, MARCUS MARTEL! No saying any of that, though. It was unprofessional. "If it's a weapon like these, then I can. Materials might be tricky, but I have a friend that can help with that. All I ask for is the anvil in the back, and either the weapons themselves, or accurate drawings of the weapon."

"Drawings, huh? Can that work?"

Of course it could work. "I've done it before."

"Very well, you can have the weapons, since I already have them, and the anvil. I can throw Derf in too, since he seems to take a liking to you."

The sword clanked in annoyance. "You just want to get rid of me."

The shop owner huffed, and Marcus grinned as he sheathed Derf. Clever sword. "Very well. Congratulations sir, you've just gained a weapon smith, and a rather good one at that. Come Louise, we have much to do. Here."

He handed Louise the weapons, then walked into the back room, returning with the anvil. "A adequate anvil, in the least."

"Marcus, these weapons are too heavy."

YOU FOOL! YOU DARE QUESTION MARCUS MARTEL? GET BACK TO WORK! He was being unprofessional again. Bad Marcus, bad. "Think of this as training."

"You said no training for today."

She was whining again. Why did Louise get to be unprofessional? Answer: she _didn't_. "Quit your whining. This is training for tomorrow, being done today. I want to go over a technique I thought of later, though. Don't worry, it's not that hard for you. You'll enjoy it, I promise."

Louise sighed, but relented.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, that's a thing. While Marcus can deal with most people, apparently people who whine aren't the best for his nerves. The 'action' scenes were alright in my opinion. Could have been better, but I have plans. And more chapters. That's good too. I decided to dedicate a few chapters solely to one fight to show how strong certain characters are. Like Karin, and Spirits. Maybe a Spirit Karin. I'd like to see that. Reviews are welcome, so I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	3. Showtime

**A/N: Yay! A review! And here I was worried. Well, here we go: A bit of history, an off-screen accomplishment of Marcus, a few more accomplishments on-screen, and all that jazz. And by jazz I mean Marcus being wrong about something for once. In front of royalty, no less!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3/Showtime**

Conversation time. "Say, Derf."

"Yeah?"

"Do you know how exactly you were made? I've made some sentient weapons before, but it's nice to know how this world manages."

Like with Adamantine. Marcus would _never_ forget that sword. "Well, I was made by the original Gandalfr. Her name was Sasha."

Louise's eyes widened at the reveal. Was Gandalfr important? He'd have to find out later. "Wait, you mean _the_ Gandalfr?"

"No, I mean a random Gandalfr. Of course I mean THE Gandalfr!"

Clever sword, that one. Witty, too. "That's ridiculous! You're just a rusty talking sword. There are probably dozens of better swords that can talk, and they won't say they were made by the _Gandalfr_."

Marcus rolled his eyes. Now Louise was being obstinate. "Louise, a bit of rust doesn't make a sword bad, especially if your world has preservation spells. Really, Derf is something to show off, not hide in a barrel of brittle swords."

"Oh, that reminds me. The familiar showcasing is in two days. Do you have any idea what you're going to do?"

Of course he did. "Louise, trust me, and don't worry. You'll see soon enough."

Louise gulped.

* * *

Marcus grabbed another towel, as Siesta continued washing clothes. "It's nice here. I haven't seen too much corruption in the nobles. How much have you seen, Siesta?"

"Oh, there's a bit of corruption in the noble families. To them, commoners are just property to be treated as such."

Marcus sighed. Simple, childish nobles. "I guess I can see what you mean. If my world had that kind of thinking, everyone would have died. But I doubt that'll happen here."

"What's your world like?"

Explanation time. NOOOO! "Well, before our first interaction with magic, our world relied on science and technology to survive and improve."

"Science? Technology?"

Had she never heard of those? "Science is basically an organization of knowledge into various explanations and predictions of everything. Technology is the methods or techniques in the accomplishment of objectives and production of goods. So, in a way, science is the theory, technology is the practice in generating a healthy lifestyle."

"What could you do with science and technology?"

Marcus pulled out another shirt to wash. "Well, we have many fields and applications of science and technology. For the most part, we've been able to create humanoid weapons, like Zero, enhance the basic human abilities to unprecedented levels, cure many diseases, and make light, strong, hard, and durable materials."

"Wow, that's really amazing. So, what happened after magic was discovered?"

"Less discovered, more forcefully learned about. We discovered portals to other worlds, then, using science, categorized them, and using technology, distributed the information all around our world very quickly to prevent chaos from erupting. We then set up a system of travel between these worlds, in order to safely transport both people and goods across worlds."

Siesta leaned in a little bit closer. "Then what?"

Bad things. Bad things happened. _Very_ bad things. "Then the magic happened. We were invaded by a powerful race that nearly wiped out our entire world in one fell swoop. Many died, but the few that remained did not take to extinction well. We took up arms, advanced using the enemy's magic, and overpowered the invading race."

"What happened to the invaders?"

Marcus rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "We killed them all. It was either them or us then."

Well, Marcus killed them all. It only took him several thousand tries. The Purging Flame and the False God were nothing to laugh at, especially with their ability to warp reality at their whim, creating millions of copies of themselves to fight him, and to slaughter the humans. He had found Zero that way, after so many tries, and succeeding against the weaker clones, but not the originals. Zero was an alternate version of the original False God, and that had helped him tremendously in slaughtering the ones who had exterminated humans on his planet. Siesta gasped at the simplified explanation. "That's terrible! Wasn't there another way?"

Of course not. The Purging Flame and the False God wanted that to happen. They had even explicitly said they would wipe out humanity, or be wiped out in the process. Strange beings, those ones. So very strange. "Maybe, maybe not. Our actions aren't always the best, but they're _our_ actions. I'm not proud of everything I've done, but I did what I did, and I won't deny that fact. Really though, it's not like a single one of them existing wouldn't have destroyed much of our world, so I guess it was justified, since we would have died otherwise."

Justification: Exceptional. Truth: Less than satisfactory. "I see. That's really sad though."

"Hey, I know it's sad, but it happened, and that's not going to change. Ah, we're done."

* * *

 **The next day.**

The professor looked over the class. "Now class, who can tell me the most powerful element?"

Marcus raised a hand, and the professor pointed at him. "Yes, you there."

"Void."

The professor frowned. "Who can tell me the most powerful _usable_ element?"

Marcus raised his hand again.

"Yes?"

"Void."

The professor scowled this time. "Who can tell me the most powerful usable element, with a mage capable of using said element still alive?"

Marcus raised his hand once more, and the professor glared at him.

"Let me guess, you're going to say Void again?"

"Yes."

The class did a mock gasp, and the professor raised an eyebrow. "Boy, there hasn't been a Void mage since the Founder. Who in this room could possibly be a Void mage?"

Marcus leaned back, resting his hands behind his head. "Well, I can think of at least one person, and they happen to be in this room."

The teacher scowled. "So, who is it, _boy_?"

"Let's go over the facts. A Void mage is usually unable to perform spells of other elements, due to their lack of control, or overuse of power in a single spell of reasonable size. Using that course of reasoning, a Void mage can only perform Void spells, which have lengthy, yet necessary, incantations. The only person in this room not to successfully complete a non-Void elemental spell must be the Void mage, yes?"

The students murmured amongst themselves, with one student speaking up. "There is only person in this room who fits that criteria. That would be you, Marcus."

Marcus shrugged. "Well, if that's your conclusion, then I won't deny it. After all, it's yours, not mine."

The professor glared at Marcus. "Well, let's put that conclusion to the test."

The student looked nervously at Marcus and the professor. "Professor, Marcus has been able to beat even several triangle class mages by himself, using only a hammer. Once, he beat a line class mage with his bare hands."

The teacher paused at this, but looked determined nonetheless. "We will see about that. I challenge you to a duel, _Marcus_."

Marcus nodded in agreement, and Louise looked shyly down.

* * *

The two combatants stood on the opposite sides of the courtyard, ready for the farce of a battle. Really, it was anticlimactic when the winner was already determined.

"You will soon see that Wind is the strongest element."

Marcus cracked his neck. Stiff joints. "I suppose. Maybe it is. You want to find out, right?"

The professor scowled, raising a wand at Marcus. "Air Blast."

A bolt of air shot out at Marcus, who merely raised a hand to block.

The powerful bolt of air dispersed as soon as it touched his fingers, dissipating into wind that blew past him. Half truth time was far more fun than explanation time.

"Did you know, there's a Void spell called Dispel? It was used to negate other magic, and, as a powerful Void spell, could be used to change the course of battle quite dramatically."

The teacher looked on in disbelief, but the students smirked. They had been at least open-minded enough to accept the actual truth, and had seen his duels firsthand. They could figure he wasn't an actual Void mage, but still strong enough to plausibly emulate one. The teacher, not so much. "That's impossible."

Marcus chuckled, a smile forming on his lips. A taunt should prove worthwhile. "Impossible? Maybe you should try again. Maybe something with more power."

The professor raised a wand, chanting, before firing off the next spell. "Air Cutter!"

A sharp blade of wind blew at Marcus, who held out a hand again.

Once again, the spell dispersed on contact with his fingers, slicing into the ground behind him. Strong spells? Easy. He had time to prepare. Also, Louise had demonstrated most of the spells he would have to face. So, even easier.

"You see, even the strongest of magic can be dispelled."

He casually walked towards the professor. "So, is that it? If it's not, keep trying."

The professor raised his wand once more, determined to teach this _boy_ how to respect his betters. "Circling Winds!"

The wind began circling the two, Marcus raising an eyebrow. This was new. "Tornado!"

The circling winds suddenly rose in both power and height, trapping both combatants in a normal, not too powerful tornado.

"A bit impressive, though you need more work on it."

The tornado dispersed violently, and although the students were grinning in full, the professor was flabbergasted. "How?"

The student from earlier spoke up once more, unable to hide his smile. Marcus liked that boy, he really did. "We told you already. Marcus has beaten a line class mage with nothing but his bare hands. You can't win."

The professor scowled. "Fine. I believe you for now. But be warned, Marcus. This is only the beginning for you. A Void mage -"

Nope. Not listening. He wasn't even a Void mage. "Save it for someone who cares. I'm not interested in the politics of who uses what element. Seriously, why should I care?"

"Because, others will come for your power."

Marcus laughed at this. Was he being serious? No more half truths, this time. A boast was in order. "If they want to take my power, then let them try. If they want to use me for my power, let them try. I'm not a weakling that will bend to another's will just because they're stronger than me, nor am I a coward that will be bullied into doing things for others. The things I do are by my own decisions, and the consequences are mine and mine alone to deal with."

He turned around, walking back toward the building the class had been in before. "Now, we have class to attend."

* * *

From the main tower, a woman with green hair watched the events unfold, along with the Headmaster.

"Well, Longueville? What do you think of this man?"

The green haired woman, Longueville nodded. "Well, he's certainly strong enough, Osmond. He's also willing to go to extreme lengths to protect Louise from the prejudice of others, while at the same time, showing her that what that prejudice actually is. He's also clever. By using half truths, he can deceive others into a wrong conclusion."

"Exactly, Longueville. We should should keep an eye out on this man. He's not a Void mage, but at the same time, he's doing things no normal mage could ever do."

Longueville nodded. Marcus would be a problem if he caught her in the act. Maybe a hostage situation can delay him if she needed to escape. _Maybe_.

* * *

Marcus rolled his shoulder, cracking the joint as he looked at the poster. "That's better. Now, this 'Fouquet' is certainly an interesting challenge. Let's see, turning the walls into sand, stealing high value items, and leaving a signature behind. The first one is fairly new, but I think I've seen the second two before. Where, though?"

He cracked the other shoulder. "I suppose, that there's an underlying reason for all this. Might just be me, though. Doing things for fun isn't something to be done on the job."

He turned around, walking away, back to the bar, and sat down. He needed a drink. "Sir, your strongest drink, please."

The bartender nodded, pouring a glass of cloudy, reddish liquid. "Here you go. You new around here?"

Marcus took a sip, nodding. Good drink. "For the most part. I've been here three days. Really, this is something good. What's in it?"

"The drink?"

No, the food he didn't have. "Yeah."

"Trade secret, but it has a _very_ high alcohol content."

Marcus grinned. It was their strongest drink. "Well, of course it would."

He placed the empty glass on the counter. "Any more?"

The bartender raised an eyebrow but nevertheless took the glass, and poured more of the drink into it. Marcus wasn't a lightweight. The nerve of some people! "Thanks. You've seen the wanted poster, right? Can you tell me a bit about this 'Fouquet'?"

* * *

Louise tilted her head at the large chalkboard Marcus had set up in her room. Most people wouldn't do that, they'd just accept it. Impudent Louise, respect the chalkboard! "Okay, I understand that you don't have a room yet. But do you have to set this thing up in mine?"

Marcus smirked. "Well Louise, I've taken an interest in these 'Fouquet' incidents. I'm using what I know to determine the base of operations. You can help, if you want."

Louise yawned, shaking her head. The wimp. "No, I'm alright. I'm a bit tired from this morning's training."

It was nothing! "You didn't even do that much."

She glared at him. Angry Louise, what else was new? "I had to run around rapidly firing off square class spells at you! That wasn't easy, especially with Derfflinger absorbing my magic to weaken the spells. Although he _does_ help with normal spells."

She yawned again. "Still, I'm interested in what you'll come up with."

So was he. "Of course. You're getting up early, too. Extra training."

Her whining reply was expected. "Why?"

"Because the familiar showcase is tomorrow, and there are still things to finalize."

Louise looked down. "Why is it that the familiar is telling the master what to do?"

"Do you want to get stronger? Then listen to me, and follow my directions."

A knock at the door got their attention. Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Were you expecting someone, Louise?"

She shook her head. "No."

Hmm. Marcus pulled his hammer out, then quickly opened the door.

A hooded figure rushed into the room, closing the door quickly, and Marcus casually waved the hammer at them. A fair warning beforehand was acceptable.

"Just so you know, a hooded figure is hardly inconspicuous."

The hooded figure pulled back the hood, revealing a young girl with violet hair. "Ah, Louise Francoise, it's been too long. Am I interrupting anything?"

Louise's eyes widened. "Princess Henrietta!"

She quickly knelt down, prostrating before the princess. She glared at Marcus. "Kneel."

Marcus gave a mock bow, bending at the waist, before straightening again, his grip tightening on his hammer. "So, why are you here, _princess_?"

Louise glared at him. "What's wrong with you?"

Okay, now fun time was over. "How can you trust your eyes so easily?"

Marcus lunged at the 'princess', slamming her into the wall, and pressing his hammer against her throat. With his free hand, he grabbed the wrist that held an enchanted knife. Suspicious person, with a knife, and a silence spell. An assassin, of course! "Since I needn't repeat myself, who sent you?"

The 'princess' looked at Marcus pleadingly. An act, of course. "Louise, your lover is quite aggressive. Could you please ask him to release me?"

Louise blushed, looking away. "He's not my lover. Marcus! Release the princess at once!"

No. This was time to be serious, Louise. "Louise, why would a princess go to a second year mage's room at night, _alone_ , and carrying a knife? Furthermore, why would she wear a dark cloak, in addition to using magic to hide her presence, as well as casting a silence spell as soon as she entered the room?"

He let the 'princess' go, gesturing with his hammer. "Explain yourself."

The 'princess' sighed, kneeling on the floor. "Louise, your lover is quite observant. However, he's come to the wrong conclusion."

"Like I said, he's not my lover."

She turned to him, resolve back in her eyes. "Sir -"

"Marcus."

"Marcus, while all the facts are correct, the conclusion is wrong. I am the who I claim to be. This cloak is used to hide my presence, and this knife is little more than decoration, used for intimidation. I've come here because I wish to talk to Louise Francoise, and I needed to hide myself from my guards."

Marcus rolled his eyes. Such false reasoning sickened him. "' _Princess_ ', your reasoning is quite flawed. A high ranking political member shouldn't need several guards to consistently and publicly trail her if she's competent enough. You may see my hesitation to be so trusting when you learn that your knife is a little too well made to be simple decoration."

That was a lie. The knife was good enough to kill with a simple nick on the skin. No hesitation, just a simple and complete refusal to believe that this was just a simple knife. "Ah, I see. You're suspicions are quite founded, if I were to be an assassin out to kill. But, Louise Francoise, please call me Henrietta. We are childhood friends, after all."

Marcus looked at Louise for an answer, any answer. "I was selected to be the princess', I mean Henrietta's playmate when we were young."

Marcus nodded. "I suppose I _might_ believe your story. Would you mind if I stayed then?"

It was a test, albeit a simple one. "No, not at all." She passed. Less suspicious.

Louise looked worriedly at Henrietta. "Henrietta, why are you here?"

"Well, I've come to congratulate you on summoning a familiar, Louise Francoise. I heard it was very powerful, capable of defeating mages easily."

Louise looked down. "I'm sorry, Henrietta, but I didn't summon a true familiar. Marcus cannot be a familiar to anyone, and I summoned him. He is a familiar in name alone."

Louise was being bashful. Why was that happening? She was too haughty to normally do such a thing. The 'princess' looked at him with interest. "Ah, I see. So, Marcus, what's it like to be an honorary familiar?"

He'd explain it to her. "Well, Louise is becoming quite adept in her magic. I suppose most of it is from all her studies."

"Ah yes, Louise Francoise did enjoy reading about magic as a little girl."

Okay... "I take it you did as well?"

"Yes. We often sat and read books on magic together. Such memories."

She sighed contentedly, and Marcus raised an eyebrow slightly. That was a little sketchy for an assassin to do. Then again, it could still be a very good, well played act. "Anyway, is there anything important that must be addressed? The familiar showcase is tomorrow, and there are still things to finalize."

"Ah, you're right. I apologize for intruding. I simply wanted to have a few words with Louise Francoise."

Louise yawned. "I'm sorry, Henrietta, but it is getting late, and I would like to get some sleep. Maybe tomorrow?"

Henrietta nodded, smiling sadly. "Of course, Louise Francoise. Tomorrow then."

She donned her hood once more, leaving the room silently.

"Marcus, what do you make of this?"

"I still think she's an imposter. Maybe Fouquet has an accomplice?"

Louise looked at the chalkboard. "Perhaps. If she does, impersonating the princess is a grave crime, punishable by death."

Marcus smirked. "Of course, Louise."

His summoner was becoming everything he wanted her to be. Slowly, but surely.

* * *

 **The next morning.**

Louise opened her eyes, seeing Marcus writing on the chalkboard. It was early morning, yet he hadn't woken her up. "Marcus. You didn't wake me up."

"It's still early. Don't go back to sleep, just get ready for the familiar showcasing."

He put the chalk down, then stepped aside. "When you're fully awake, you can take a look at this."

Louise rubbed her eyes, then looked at the chalkboard. "Fouquet's base of operations happens to be at this school, given the location of the robberies, and the time needed to travel. Based on physical appearance, we only have one person who matches, however, that may not be the case, given the possibility of an accomplice that can change the appearance of a person. In addition, the pattern of robberies conclude that this academy is the next location for her theft. But the vault is near impenetrable. It would take at least four square class mages to break in."

He nodded his head. "Which is why the imposter came to your room last night. If they managed to take you hostage, they might have forced me to break into the vault as ransom."

"Could you?"

Marcus shrugged. He could, but he wasn't about to tell her that. "I might. I've never tried anything like it in this world. I'm sure Zero could, though."

"Where _is_ Zero, anyway?"

Marcus shrugged again. Somewhere out in the forest, slaughtering helpless dragons, orcs, and whatever else happened to be nearby when he got hungry. "Not killing everything, I'm sure. Probably only the forest animals. Maybe a dragon or two."

Louise paled, and Marcus rolled his eyes. Time to try a different topic. "Don't worry, I've talked with the main suspect last night, after the imposter left."

Louise nodded, her expression serious once more. Good.

* * *

"That was Kirche and her fire salamander Flame! Next, Louise Francoise, and her familiar, Marcus!"

Louise and Marcus walked out, bowing in front of the crowd. Meh, crowds. Boring.

A voice shouted out with a touch of pride, "Hey, Louise, what kind of familiar is he?"

Louise's eye twitched, before she smiled. Good job Louise. Good job. "He's a commoner that managed to beat the majority of the nobles here in every duel he fought in."

Marcus nodded. Louise had _some_ pride as a mage, it seemed. "Now, to prove that fact, along with the fact that I am quite a good teacher, I will be conducting a one-on-one duel with Guiche de Gramont, with restrictions, of course. Please, follow me."

He walked off the stage, and the rest of the crowd followed him, including the 'princess' and her entourage.

* * *

Guiche and Marcus stood on opposite sides of the clearing, and Marcus cleared his throat. "Attention! This duel will be a single combat duel. Each party may place one restriction on the other. My restriction is no more than five dot class constructs at once."

Guiche nodded. "My restriction is no using your hammer."

Marcus nodded, and a girl whispered to Louise, "Those are very loose restrictions, yet does Guiche even have a chance to win? Last I heard, he was only a dot mage."

Louise whispered back, "With both theory and a _lot_ of practice, and his father drilling him constantly, Guiche managed to go from dot class to line class in four days."

The girl nodded, looking back at the combatants in wonder.

Marcus sheathed his hammer, raising a hand.

"Duel, begin!"

* * *

 **A/N: And now we move on to the obligatory Guiche fight. Let's see how well Marcus can do against a named character (Since the whole 'beat a line mage with just his bare hands' was off-screen.), and technically, it should be possible for a dot mage that's close to becoming a line mage to do so in semi-Spartan conditions.  
** **Any thoughts as to Marcus' ability of completely tearing apart complex spells are appreciated in a review *cough*.  
And one final note: Marcus' ability to tear apart complex spells _does_ , in fact, have two weaknesses, though they're not quite obvious.**


End file.
